Over one-hundred years ago, a secret society of Chinese martial artists, “The Righteous Fists of Harmony,” waged war against the Eight-Nation Alliance. Labeled “Boxers” by the British, these anti-imperialist individuals stood up against the powerful foreign subjugator that dominated over China for seventy years. These Boxers believed they were extraordinary; immune to bullets, immune to swords, and able to fly. No match for the puissant Alliance, 100,000 Boxers perished, and the magical faction was put to rest. Alfred Darlington, also known as Daedelus, commemorates The Boxer Rebellion in this spellbinding extended play, Righteous Fists Of Harmony, that captures the rise and fall of this radical movement long ago.

Dim percussion slowly marches forward in the first half of debut track “An Armada Approaches”, cementing a stable bedrock for Righteous Fists to build off of. The pace accelerates into “Tidal Waves Uprising”, a whirlwind of picked guitar strings, denoting one of the only true fleet moments of the EP. The remaining portion really takes its time to detail the piece of history as best as possible. Alfred’s wife, Laura Darlington, handles the vocals on “Order Of The Golden Dawn”, which are nothing short of divine. If you’re at all a fan of FlyLo’s “Infinitum”, you are aware of Laura’s ability to soothe in a music piece. “The Finishing Of A Thing” marks the declination of the Righteous Harmony Society Movement, slowly leading to a war of brass and percussion. With “Finishing” leading into “Succumbing To” and “Stampede Me”,the second half of the EP showcases the inevitable decay of the Boxers. Although on final track “Fin De Siècle”, Daedelus honors the end of an era with a significant quantum of optimism; a positive on-to-the-next-one door opening.

It doesn’t get much better than Daedelus in regards to fascinating trips. Righteous Fists Of Harmony is a half-hour excursion that brilliantly captures three years worth of rebellion. Amidst the melancholic death of a brotherhood, you’ll find beauty in Boxer beliefs and triumphant tones from the opposite side of the battle. This movement moved me.